certainly seemed very close.”
I forced my voice to remain casual. “Like I said, we go way back.”
She cleared her throat. “I stopped by your office last night. I wanted to drop off a list of questions that I had prepared, to give you a chance to review them.”
The world tilted just a touch. “Oh?”
She nodded. “I didn’t knock. When I got to the door, it was clear you were entertaining someone. I decided to leave. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
I didn’t say anything. She was fishing for information and I wasn’t going to give it to her. “Thanks.”
“I needed to use the restroom and dashed inside. When I pulled open the door, I saw you with your guest. I saw the kiss between you and said guest.”
I leaned forward, narrowing my gaze at her. “What’s your point? Is that the kind of story you’re looking for?”
“No, but would you like to change your statement about your relationship with Harper?”
“Nope. I wouldn’t. Do you have anything more to ask me about the hotel business?”
“Why are you defensive?”
“I don’t feel I owe you an answer to that. Nor do I feel the need to explain my personal life. Your article is about the resort and the family business. My personal life is not part of the family business.”
“Technically, it is now. You broke the cardinal rule.”
“I did?”
“You mixed business with pleasure,” she said with a smile.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Look, I’m not trying to criticize you. I think the two of you make a great couple. The chemistry between the two of you is amazing.”
“I’m not talking about this with you.”
“I write these reviews at least once a month. They give the hotel a nice boost, but they are just as easily forgotten. They are quaint and trite. The people that read them are either sitting on the toilet or in an airplane. The articles are nicely written but they are boring.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I’m doing this as a favor to Cori and because I think your resort is worth writing about,” she answered.
“Then write about it.”
“I could make this article worth reading with a little extra spice. People want to read about something exciting. I need a hook.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Hear me out. Don’t shut me down until you hear it, okay?”
I shrugged, knowing I was going to hate it. I was more than ready to get back to my office. I lifted my hand to order another scotch. I had a feeling I was going to need it. “What?” I said in an unfriendly tone.
“Owner and his brand consultant are cooking up new ideas. Owner falls for his beautiful consultant after working hard to create a spectacular grand opening that would put the resort on the map.”
“No.”
“It’s a beautiful story,” she insisted. “Two people falling in love is always exciting. Especially pretty people.”
“I’m not exploiting her or me or our relationship.”
“It wouldn’t be an exploitation. I would make it a beautiful, tasteful romance. It’s the kind of story that will make the ladies swoon and the men will want to talk to you to find out how you did it.”
I shook my head, taking my new glass of scotch from the waiter. “I would prefer to keep things focused on the resort. There’s no reason to blast my personal life all over the place.”
“It wouldn’t be a blast. It would be a story. You could submit photographs. You would get to approve the article. It won’t be all about you and Harper, but just a nice little extra thread to keep readers interested. Think of it as a nice little story and not an exploitation.”
“And what you think you heard last night?”
She smiled. “This is a family publication. We’re focused on the romance, not what happens behind closed doors. It will be very classy.”
I knew the writeups she was talking about. They were as dry as cardboard. I couldn’t remember ever actually reading one through. “Tasteful?”
“Yes.”
“But you would use her name?”
She nodded. “Yes, I think I would need to.”
“Fine.”
Her face lit up. “Really?”
“Yes. I want to review it before it gets published.”
“I can do that.”
“I want the bulk of the article written about the business. That’s what I want promoted—not me.”
“I get it. I do.”
She asked me a few more questions before we wrapped up. I figured by the time the article was published, I would have already won Harper back. When she saw the article, she would be amused. I would tell her that